California is the most populous state in United States. Californians love their cars and their lovely environs. But the two cannot go together because cars pollute the environment. To tackle this issue both individuals and the US government are embracing hybrid and electric vehicles. California has the largest number of electric vehicles in the United States. It would be interesting to know the effect that charging so many electric vehicles has on California’s electric grid.
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Efficient Use of Electricity Generated
Cost of fuel used for generating power is only 5% of the total cost. The rest is spent on infrastructure used for generation and transmission. So it makes sense to minimize the infrastructure cost and use it efficiently. This is possible if the load on the grid is proportional to the generation level.
Maximum load on the grid is during the day time when people use air conditioners at homes and offices, especially in summers. So the load that can be given at any time of the day, like charging an electric vehicle, should be moved to a time when the load on the grid is less, say after 8 pm. That would balance the supply and demand of electricity.
Solar Power as the Game Changer
It is traditional, conventional wisdom to plug in your electric vehicle when you reach home, in the evening time. But California has made huge strides in solar energy generation. So during the day time, especially mid-afternoon on sunny days, electricity generation is also at its peak. It is in fact more than the current load on the grid. So electric vehicles can be and should be charged during the daytime.
Real Time Information
On cloudy days, solar power generation would decrease. A real time information bulletin about when electric vehicles should be charged will enable maximum utilization of electricity generation. In today’s age of mobile apps and fast connections, it is possible to do that easily and effectively.
There are lessons to be learned from experience of California for other cities that are targeting use of electric vehicles to reduce environmental degradation and save on fuel costs. It provides pointers to city planners about the infrastructural changes required for handling an upsurge in electric vehicles on roads.
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